Beer auction at Bruery: Orange County’s Bruery will be hosting a silent auction of rare beers on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at the Bruery’s Tasting Room in Placentia. The event, benefiting Share our Strength Taste of the Nation Los Angeles, will feature a number of brews including Partridge in a Pear Tree, rye-, bourbon- and brandy-barrel aged papiers, and a three-pack collection of 2011 Black Tuesday, 2012 Grey Monday and 2012 Chocolate Rain. 717 Dunn Way, Placentia, (714) 996-6258, www.thebruery.com.

History of peanut butter: Author and peanut butter connoisseur Jon Krampner will be speaking on "Creamy and Crunchy: An informal History of Peanut Butter," presented by the Culinary Historians of Southern California, on Saturday. Krampner’s talk will highlight when the American staple was created and address the stories behind the three major peanut butter brands -- Jif, Skippy and Peter Pan. The event, which starts at 10:30 a.m., will be held at the Downtown Central Library and is free and open to the public. Mark Taper Auditorium, Downtown Central Library, 630 W. 5th St., L.A., www.chscsite.org.

Epicurean lifestyles of ancient Sicily: On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Kitchen Buzzz founder Nancy Real will be leading a course on the "Epicurean Lifestyles of Ancient Sicily." The class will start with a tour of the Getty Villa's "Sicily: Art and Invention between Greece and Rome" exhibition where students will learn about the culture and art of ancient Sicily before participating in a hands-on Sicilian cooking course to be held at the Italian Cultural Institute. Menu items will include stuffed grape leaves, amorbites (ricotta and honey), basynias (fried dough with honey and walnuts) and more. The course is $84 for IIC member and $89 for non-members. Register online or by calling (310) 824-7408. www.thekitchenbuzzz.blogspot.com.